3 replies to this topic

[Keith Egerton]

Does anybody have any references to books/websites that give definite information on the mounting of torpedo tubes in capital ships.

I understand some capital ship had tubes mounted to fire either forward, stern or broadside.

It seems from what I have found so far, that most Royal Navy capital ship torpedo tubes fired broadside.

German ship had different combinations depending upon class of ship. I have some information, but not for all classes.

I'm not expecting any great effect of these weapons, they were removed after WW1 due to being ineffective - but want accurate representation of firing directions

The FAI rules aren't clear on this aspect,unless I have missed something.

[Cpt M]

Does anybody have any references to books/websites that give definite information on the mounting of torpedo tubes in capital ships.

I understand some capital ship had tubes mounted to fire either forward, stern or broadside.

It seems from what I have found so far, that most Royal Navy capital ship torpedo tubes fired broadside.

German ship had different combinations depending upon class of ship. I have some information, but not for all classes.

I'm not expecting any great effect of these weapons, they were removed after WW1 due to being ineffective - but want accurate representation of firing directions

The FAI rules aren't clear on this aspect,unless I have missed something.

Under FAI, the fore and aft torpedo tubes mounted on major ships were purposely left off the ship logs due to their very doubtful utility (the rationale for this is covered in the ‘Now Hear This’ commentary on page 7-6). As experience was to show, broadside capital ship torpedoes were of little use and the fore/aft tubes were even (if possible) less so and in several cases, were actually a liability. (And one does have to wonder about the thought process that considered launching a stern mounted underwater torpedo tube through a ship’s prop wash such a good idea…).

That being said, many classes of dreadnoughts and pre-dreadnoughts started the war carrying fore/aft tubes (particularly the Germans). (BTW, the beam mounted torpedoes for all these ships are already represented on the ship logs. The fore/aft tubes are not for the reasons mentioned above).

In addition to the already listed beam torpedo tubes, the following German classes also carried a bow tube and stern tube: Braunschweig, Deutschland, Nassau, Helgoland, Prinz Adalbert, Roon, Scharnhorst, Blucher, Von der Tann, Moltke, Seydlitz, Derfflinger.

In addition to the already listed beam torpedo tubes, the following German classes carried a single bow torpedo tube: Kaiser, Konig, Bayern, Mackensen.

The following British classes carried an additional stern torpedo tube: Lord Nelson, Dreadnought, Bellerophon, St. Vincent, Neptune, Colossus, Orion, King George V, Agincourt, Invincible, Indefatigable, Duke of Edinburgh, Warrior, Minotaur.

In all cases, the fore/aft torpedo were mounted underwater and would be same size as the beam torpedoes.

As a good general source of information, I would recommend 'Conways All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921'.

[Keith Egerton]

Thanks very much for your help.

K

[simanton]

As I recall, most of the British dreadnoughts fitted with them had their stern torpedo tubes removed during the war.